Sunday, November 2, 2014

'Reality is what you can get away with'

Bono, aka Paul David Hewson, who says, "The world is more malleable than you think."

Saturday is when the Wall Street Journal publishes its book review section, and when I flipped through it, I paused to read Tony Fletcher's review of John Jobling's U2: The Definitive Biography. A couple of sentences in the last paragraph surprised me:

But to those who saw in early U2 an apparent disavowal of punk, a quote from Bono about seeing the Clash in Dublin in 1977 reveals he had, in fact, paid close attention. "It was very clear," Bono recounted years later. "The world is more malleable than you think; reality is what you can get away with." U2 got away with what others only dream about: to be the biggest band in the world."

I thought the aphorism had come from RAW. Can anyone tell me where RAW, or Bono, or both, get the phrase?

Let's not forget RAW was based in Dublin at the time U2 were bursting onto the world scene. He appeared occasionally on television and radio there too, i believe. It's very feasible that Bono had read RAW.

Also, in U2 s early days, Bono and Ali lived in a Montello Tower somewhere on the south side of Dublin. Probably fairly close to, but further south of, where the Joyce Museum is - in another Martello Tower, and right beside where RAW lived. Not at all inconceivable that the two crossed paths.Dublin's not that big a city - human sized as someone said - so very likely their paths crossed.

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A daily posting from Tom Jackson about my favorite writer, Robert Anton Wilson. I also seek material by or about Robert Shea, Mr. Wilson's collaborator in writing "Illuminatus!" If you have tips, you may write me at tom.jackson@gmail.com. Please put "Robert Anton Wilson" in the subject line.